Question

What are Freons? Discuss their uses and environmental effects.

Answer 1

Freons are the chiorofluoro derivatives of methane and ethane. 

Freon is represented as Freon – cba 

Where, c = number of carbon atoms, 

b = number of hydrogen atoms, 

a = total number of fluorine atoms. 

CF₂Cl₂ = 0 

c = 1 – 1 = 0

H = 0 +1 = 1 

F = 2

So Freon – 12 is CF₂Cl₂

Uses of Freons: 

• Freons are used as refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioners. 
• it is used as a propellant for aerosols and foams. 
• it is used as propellant for foams to spray out deodorants, shaving creams and insecticides.

Environmental effects of Freons: 

1. Freon gas is a very powerful greenhouse gas which means that it traps the heat normally radiated from the earth out into the space. This causes the earth’s temperature to increase, resulting in rising sea levels, droughts. stronger storms, flash floods and a host of other very unpleasant effect .

2. As freon moves throughout the air, its chemical ingredients causes depletion of ozone layer. Depletion of ozone increases the amount of ultraviolet radiations that reaches the earths surface, resulting in serious risk to human health. High levels of ozone, in turn, causes resoiratory problems and can also kill olants.